Browallia speciosa ‘UNHBR18’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Browallia  plant named ‘UNHBR18,’ characterized by numerous single flowers that are white in color, compact and rounded growth habit, stems that do not break or separate on the center of the mature plant, and good performance in partial shade in the garden and as a hanging basket.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Browallia plant named ‘UNHBR18’.

The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by terms of contract No. 01-90015-0420 awarded by the USDA/Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Browallia plant, botanically known as Browallia speciosa, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘UNHBR18’.

The new Browallia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Durham, N.H. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Browallia plants with attractive flowers in a range of colors, profuse flowering and reduced fruit set.

The new ‘UNHBR18’ originated from a hybridization made by the Inventor on Jul. 11, 2001 between a proprietary selection of Browallia speciosa code UNH BR10-13, not patented, used as female, and a proprietary selection of Browallia speciosa code BROW5-1, not patented, used as male. UNH BR10-13 had a very compact growth habit and large purple flowers with a white center, while BROW5-1 had very vigorous growth and white flowers. Seed was sown on Sep. 20, 2001. From the segregating progeny, a single plant BR1-15-9, later coded as ‘UNHBR18’ was selected in Durham, N.H., USA, on the basis of its compact growth habit and profuse flowering with large white flowers. ‘UNHBR18’ differed from its female parent UNH BR10-13 in that its flowers were white rather than purple; it also differed from its male parent BROW5-1 in that its lateral branches were on average 4-5 cm shorter.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings since January 2002 taken in Durham, N.H. has shown that the unique features of this new Browallia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘UNHBR18’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘UNHBR18’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘UNHBR18’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Numerous single flowers that are white in color.     -   2. Compact and rounded plant growth habit.     -   3. Stems do not break or separate on the center of the mature         plant.     -   4. Good performance in partial shade in the garden and as a         hanging basket.

Of the Browallia cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar to ‘UNHBR18’ is seed propagated Browallia speciosa ‘Silver Bells’ not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Durham, N.H., plants of Browallia speciosa ‘Silver Bells’ grown from seed exhibit some trait variation. Primarily, plants of the new Browallia differed from plants of Browallia speciosa ‘Silver Bells’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowers of plants of the new Browallia were about 0.5 cm         larger than flowers of ‘Silver Bells’.     -   2. Lateral branches in the new Browallia were about 5 cm shorter         than branches of ‘Silver Bells’.     -   3. Mature plants on the new Browallia had a more compact and         rounded growth habit than mature plants of ‘Silver Bells’, which         tended to break up open on the center and give an empty         appearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Browallia.

One photograph comprises a side perspective view of one typical five-month 20-cm container of ‘UNHBR18’ with three plants.

A second photograph is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of a five-month old plant of ‘UNHBR18’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Durham, N.H., in a heated greenhouse with 21° C. day/18° C. night set points. After planting rooted cuttings, plants were grown for about three months in 20-cm containers with three plants per container. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Color was evaluated under indirect, natural light.

-   Botanical classification: Browallia hybrid cultivar ‘UNHBR18’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Browallia speciosa             code UNH BR10-13, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Browallia speciosa             code BROW5-1, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven days at 21° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 15 days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white, color 155D.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; moderately vigorous; compact             plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form. Freely branching             habit with lateral branches potentially forming at very             node. Continuous flowering, day neutral.         -   Plant height.—About 23 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread), single plant.—About 60 cm.         -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: 10-14 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Internode length: 1.5-3 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About             3-4 cm. Width: 1.3-1.7 cm. Shape: Elliptic to lanceolate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Ciliolate. Texture:             Smooth, but upper surface has sparse minute hairs; lower             surface has very minute hairs on midrib and secondary veins.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             and lower surfaces: 143A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 143A.             Venation, upper surface: 137A; Venation, lower surface:             146A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Salverform; single, axillary. Flowers             face outward at foliage level. Flowers not fragrant. Very             freely flowering, typically about two open flowers and two             flower buds per lateral branch at one time.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower from April to             October in the Northern Hemisphere until frost in the             autumn; flowering continuous during this period. Plants will             flower under short or long days in a greenhouse.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven days.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: 4.5 cm. Depth (height from base of             the calyx): 3-3.5 cm. Flower buds (showing color) — Length:             About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Oblong. Color:             145B.         -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Salverform corolla, five petal             lobes fused in a star shape. Occasionally six lobes. Petal             length: About 1.5 cm. Petal width: About 1-2 cm. Shape:             Star. Apex: Rounded. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, with longitudinal             venation. Color: When opening, upper surface: 157D. When             opening, lower surface: 145D. Fully opened, upper surface:             155C. Fully opened, lower surface: 155C; lower center: 145C.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Five sepals. Length: About             4 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: ovate. Apex: Very acute.             Base: Fused. Margin: Ciliolate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glandulose. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B.             Total calyx length: About 2 cm.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2.5-3 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 45° from the main stem. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: With very fine, sparse hairs. Color: 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four, 2             long and 2 short. Anthers on the long stamens are visible in             the center of the tube, and are covered with a white fuzz.             Anther shape: Kidney, with two theca. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther width: About 0.8 mm. Anther color: 17B. Pollen             amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 4C. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Style length: About             1.2 cm. Style color: 145C. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma             color: 144B. Ovary color: 144B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production is moderate under             open pollination with other Browallia plants. About 40%             fruit set observed from manual self pollination. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Browallia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Browallia. -   Garden performance: ‘UNHBR18’ has good tolerance to drought     conditions and will recover well from wilt. Better growth and     flowering is seen under part-shade conditions. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Browallia plant named ‘UNHBR18’ as illustrated and described. 